Sins of the Past
by ChocoMog17
Summary: A story about Vincent's tragic youth. It explains how he came to be a member of the Turks. PG-13 rating, but the violence may reach R levels. R&R :-)
1. Chapter One

[Disclaimer: Contrary to the popular belief, I do not own the rights to Final Fantasy and its characters. This story has been written solely for entertainment and no profit is to be made off of it.]

He narrowly dodged the blade and then leapt toward his opponent. His blow was parried and they were again at a standstill. This time his opponent acted first, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc. Going under the blow, he kicked his opponent's back, but his opponent quickly spun around held his sword at the person's throat. The wind blew across the ground, carrying the dry dirt and golden leaves.  
  
"I win," he exclaimed. "No matter how many times we spar, you're not going to beat me." Raiga smiled and lowered his sword. "I do admit that you have improved quite a bit though. A ninja-to [ninja sword] is quite hard to use, yet you've become quite good with it."  
  
A flicker of defiance shone in his eyes. "I've been practicing with it for quite a while, so I know how to use it." Shinjin looked up at his brother, who was two years older. Shinjin had always admired his brother but greatly desired to become stronger him. "I'll beat you someday, and you better be ready to admit defeat!"  
  
Raiga laughed. "Really now? I hope that day arrives soon, brother." Slapping his younger brother on the back, the two headed back to their village. Their village could be found on the eastern outskirts of the great city of Sanyou, located to the south of Wutai. As they walked, Shinjin looked at his brother, who's appearance was very similar to his own. Both had black hair that fell just a little short of their eyebrows. Raiga was a few inches taller than Shinjin and also had a larger build. This helped explain how he could wield a longsword with such speed and efficiency, any why Shinjin preferred a lighter weapon. Nearing the village, someone lunged out at them.  
  
"Shinjin! Where have you been? You were supposed to help me clear the field! Don't tell me you were challenging Raiga to another duel..."  
  
Shinjin looked at her nervously. Her name was Shika and she was a close friend of Shinjin's since early childhood. Somewhat shorter than Shinjin, her dark hair went down to her shoulders. She had cute face, and a thin physique.  
  
"You were weren't you? You owe me big!"  
  
Shinjin stepped back and quickly began to run.  
  
"Hey! Slow down!" She yelled and began to chase after him.  
  
"Kids..." Raiga thought to himself.  
  
Reaching home, Raiga put down his armor and sword. "Hello mother, hello father." Raiga and Shinjin's father was a great man, in size and in mind. He was the head of the army of Sanyou and a man feared by all the enemies of Sanyou. Gunshin's stern face yet gentle smile reflected upon his ability to be both a relentless warrior and a caring father. His wife, Shisei, was a beautiful woman with a gentle face. She and Gunshin fell in love a long time ago, yet the passion had not yet faded. Raiga and Shinjin greatly loved and respected their parents.  
  
"Where is Shinjin?" Asked Shisei.  
  
"He's being chased around by Shika again. He really should become more serious."  
  
She smiled. "Shika is a nice girl. She's quite pretty as well. If only Shinjin could see what I see..."  
  
Gunshin chuckled. "Give him a few years. He's only fifteen."  
  
The door abruptly opened and Shinjin emerged breathless. A second later Shika flew into the doorway, knocking him right on to the floor.  
  
"...Hah...I....got.....you....."  
  
Shinjin sat on the floor defeated, and Shika collapsed next to him.  
  
"Shika, would you like to stay for dinner?" Offered Shisei.  
  
Shika nodded and whispered an inaudible 'thank you.' While dinner was being prepared, the boys, Shika, and Gunshin sat down and waited in a small room. The room was a maroon color except for the door panels, and an old painting of the village decorated one of the walls. There were two benches in the room, each one facing the other. Gunshin and Raiga shared one while Shika and Shinjin shared the other.  
  
"Raiga, how was your duel with Shinjin?"  
  
"I beat him again, but he's obviously improved quite a bit."  
  
Gunshin looked at his other son. "Never leave yourself open to your enemy. Always be aware of your surroundings. At least this much I have taught you."  
  
Shinjin nodded.  
  
"With the basics under your control, all that's left is practice, and that comes over time." Gunshin turned to Shika. "So Shika, how's your father, Kanbu?"  
  
Shika's father was the head of the village and was respected and beloved by the people. "He's been very anxious recently. He said something about that new ShinRa conglomerate and how it's been threatening and taking over several areas. My father believes that they might try to invade Sanyou and has tried to warn the government. I think he's getting stressed out over nothing."  
  
Gunshin listened carefully. He had heard of this "ShinRa" before, and new that he would be called upon if an actual war did take place. While he was further thinking about the matter, he was interrupted by Shisei's shout.  
  
"It's ready!"  
  
The house was a relatively large house, but was not filled with countless possessions of wealth. Several army medals and honors were scattered around the rooms and the furniture was practical and efficient. The five sat down at a large, low, round table. Shisei was a very good cook, and all could hardly wait to eat.  
  
"Let us all give thanks for this meal."  
  
A moment of silence followed, then they all began to eat. They talked about various things and laughed and enjoyed themselves till it grew dark outside. Shisei noticed that they had all finished eating and began to clear the table.  
  
"Would you mind staying the night, Shika? The streets can be very dangerous after dark."  
  
"It's alright, I can walk home. Then moon is bright tonight. I've done this countless times before." She replied.  
  
Shisei looked a bit uneasy, but eventually conceded.  
  
"Goodbye, Shika! See you tomorrow!" They all cried out. Shika waved back and headed for home.  
  
Remembering Shisei's warning, Shika suddenly became nervous. She looked around carefully in the dark and repeatedly checked to see if anyone was following her. Suddenly a shadow appeared. Terrified, Shika jumped back. The shadow advanced on her until she could see who it was.  
  
"Meow."  
  
Angry with herself for getting so worked up, she headed over to the cat to pick it up. The cat belonged to one of her neighbors who lived a short distance away. Carrying the cat, she saw something flash in the sky. Several more things flashed quickly after. A second or two passed, then there was an abrupt explosion. Several building began to catch on fire. Scared, Shika began to sprint toward her house when five soldier dressed in ShinRa uniforms intercepted her.  
  
"Well look what we have here..."

[Author's Note: First time writing a fanfic in quite a while... Vincent's already made his appearance, but the plot will take a bit longer to take hold. The story starts here, obviously, and ends when Vincent joins the Turks. Although you probably didn't notice, I didn't just make up a bunch of random name; they all mean something in Japanese. I wonder who has the willpower to go look them up... Once this story is completed, I'm also thinking about writing another one from the time he meets Lucretia till Hojo experiments on him, but that's quite a long ways off. I hope you'll enjoy the story.]


	2. Chapter Two

"Attack! Attack! We're under attack!"  
  
Chaos quickly filled the streets as warriors donned their armor and weapons as a large number of men advanced on the village. Gunshin quickly heard the noise and readied himself for battle.  
  
"Raiga, Shisei, go rally the people and take them to safety. The path beyond the western hills should lead you to Sanyou."  
  
"But I want to fight!" Raiga cried out. "I've become much stronger!"  
  
"That's exactly why you're needed there. Please, Raiga, take your mother and go."  
  
Raiga put aside his frustration and began to get ready to leave.  
  
"Shinjin, go find Shika and then follow Raiga to Sanyou. Make sure nothing happens to her."  
  
Before Shinjin could agree, a group of troops barged into the house. Gunshin quickly drew his sword and charged at them. They fired at him but his armor and sword protected him. He leapt right at them and killed all of them instantaneously. He then ran toward sounds of battle.  
  
Shocked at their father's power, Raiga and Shinjin could only stand in shock for a few moments. As they exited the house, they saw a large group of Sanyou soldiers fighting against a similarly sized group of ShinRa soldiers. Leading the attack was Gunshin, slaying men left and right as he cut through enemy lines. Flames danced across the battlefield, devouring all they touched. Regaining his senses, Shinjin yelled farewell to his brother and mother and quickly ran off to find Shika. Shisei and Raiga then began to rally the villagers.  
  
In the chaos, they found Shika's father Kanbu.  
  
"Are you alright?" Raiga asked.  
  
"I'm fine," he murmured, "Have you seen Shika?"  
  
"No, but Shinjin is out searching for her. I'm sure she'll be okay."  
  
Kanbu took these words to heart and joined the group. Raiga burst through many door, rescuing those inside from groups of enemy soldiers and the rapidly spreading fire. Raiga ran ahead of the group, and spotted Shika in an alley. He ran toward her and saw that she was being harassed by five enemy soldiers. With the speed and strength of a lion he lunged at the men and ripped them to shreds with his sword. Shika stood there for a moment in shock, leaning against the wall of the alley, her clothing ripped in a few places. Catching his breath, Raiga picked her up off the ground and carried her to the rest of the refugees.  
  
"Have you seen Shinjin?" He asked her.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Damnit, he was supposed to be looking for you. That idiot better make it back."  
  
Realizing what was going on, she suddenly tried to wrestle herself away from Raiga. He grabbed her arm.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?! Do you want to die?!"  
  
She tried to brush off his hand, but to no avail.  
  
"Shinjin... He's still out there. And my father..." Her voice was full of panic.  
  
"Your father is safe here," he said, pointing to Kanbu in the crowd. "Shinjin should be able to escape by himself. Don't endanger yourself so easily!. We'll probably find him on our way out."  
  
"Shika! Shika! Where are you?! Shika!" Shinjin raced through the streets calling out every few steps. Seeing the bloodshed around him, Shinjin could not avoid becoming hysteric. His shouts became louder, his breathing became harder. Three ShinRa soldiers saw him running and attempted to block his way.  
  
"Get out of my way!" He screamed.  
  
Somewhat disoriented by the frantic nature of the shout, they hesitated briefly. The hesitation was enough. Shinjin drew his blade and immediately cut two of them down and beheaded the other before they could react. Panting heavily, Shinjin continued his search.  
  
"Shika! Shika!"  
  
He suddenly heard something behind him. He turned around and saw quick flash of blue. Then everything went black.  
  
Running through the streets, they saw a battle raging in the center of the village. They quickly noticed Gunshin leading a different group of Sanyou soldiers, this one significantly smaller. Raiga and Shisei stopped and told the rest of the group to push on ahead. They watched Gunshin slaughtering massive numbers of enemy troops when a strange looking group began to move toward the battle. The man leading them was a tall, slim man with dark brown hair, dressed in a navy blue business suit. He was carrying a long, dangerous looking rifle, which slowly began to follow Gunshin's movements. Raiga noticed this and screamed, "Father! Look out!" Gunshin turned to face Raiga when his chest suddenly burst. Shisei collapsed onto the ground and Raiga ran as fast as he could to his father's body, tears welling up in his eyes.  
  
"Father....Father!"  
  
Catching him as he fell, Raiga knew that these were his father's last moments.  
  
"Raiga .....take... Shisei .....and.....run....now! ...I...."  
  
He was silenced by another bullet lodging itself in his neck. Raiga bowed his head. Shika, her own face stained with tears, ran toward him and pulled him up.  
  
"We have to go! Hurry! You won't be able to mourn for him if you're dead as well!" She pushed him toward the running peasants and he took one last look at his father and the man who killed him. His emotions changed from sorrow to anger. Somehow preventing himself from charging at the man, he suppressed his feelings and lifted up his mother, who was completely paralyzed with grief. With her in his arms, he and the other villagers fled to the west past the hills.  
  
When they reached a safe distance, they took a quick rest at the top of a hill. Now that they were no longer in the chaos, Shika began to think clearly. She began to look among the people frantically.  
  
"Shinjin! Are you there?! Shinjin!"  
  
No one turned around. In a panic, she looked desperately. She felt a hand land on her shoulder. She turned a saw her father giving her a look of sympathy.  
  
"No...No! He has to be here!" She ran to the edge of the hill and looked at the burning village. She collapsed on her knees.  
  
"Shinjin..."  
  
Shinjin felt a wave of pain emanating from the back of his head. Remembering what happened, he quickly tried to open his eyes. When he came to, Shinjin noticed several other men from the village bound as he was. He looked around again and saw a larger number of ShinRa soldiers. "Father...Mother....Shika...Raiga...." He closed his eyes and his heart filled with sorrow. Before he could fully recover himself, and officer addressed them.  
  
"You men are our prisoners now. You have no rights and your lives belong to us. There is no salvation, but if you agree to help us, you will surely be rewarded. We could always use more soldiers or whatever crafts you posses. If you remain on our side and are loyal till the end of the war, I guarantee that your futures will be pleasurable. If you choose not..."  
  
The man standing to the right of Shinjin spit in the officer's face. Without a moment's hesitation, the officer punched the man in the stomach, kicked him to the ground and drew out his pistol. The bullet crashed into the man's forehead and all signs of life left him immediately..  
  
"Well, now I don't need to explain what happens if you try to rebel." He wiped his face and motioned to a group of soldiers. "Take them away. Keep them locked up and without food or drink until they agree to our terms."  
  
Without a word two ShinRa soldiers raised Shinjin to his feet. As he was being led to his cell, Shinjin made eye contact with a strange looking man. He was wearing a navy blue suit, and a pair of dark sunglasses covered his eyes. In his hand was Shinjin's sword. The man didn't react to Shinjin's glare and soon he was out of sight.  
  
[Author's Note: Now the meat of the plot is finally beginning. There will be quite some twists and turns before the end. Keep reading!] 


	3. Chapter Three

Lord Kyou had a troubled look on his face.

"We've already called upon Wutai, but they have been unwilling to send aid. Lord Oyakata's son is having his coming of age ceremony. He does not wish to be involved in military matters..."

Kanbu held his head. "These are troubling times..."

Lord Kyou nodded his head. "First we lose Gunshin, now Wutai refuses to send aid... We must be strong. If we are able to gather all of our military strength, we may be able to oppose them." Lord Kyou motioned to one of his officers who promptly left the room. "Kanbu, you have been of great help. I deeply regret not listening to you earlier. It is too late for regrets, however, and we must prepare for our future troubles."

Two days had passed. Shinjin was falling apart. He slowly looked around him. Only two cages remained with their captives. One of them was completely motionless, while the other had a feverish look about him.

"I guess it is my fate," Shinjin thought to himself. He closed his eyes and reflected on the past. A quick bashing of the cage woke Shinjin from his thoughts and he slowly opened his eyes.

"You just gonna die in here?"

A man in a ShinRa uniform was looking down at him. The man moved his face close to the cage and stared into Shinjin's eyes.

"I was like you once. I had joined the Gongan resistance force to oppose ShinRa's occupation. Biggest mistake I've ever made. Before long I was put in a cage, just like the one you're in now. Swallow you're pride. I know from experience; you'll be a lot happier working for ShinRa than dead."

Shinjin barely heard a word the man said. All he could think about was the heat coming from the man's mouth and hitting him in the face. It made him uncomfortable, even irritated. The pressure built until he finally couldn't take it anymore. Shinjin kicked the area of the cage next to the man's face with all his remaining strength. The soldier fell back, his face bleeding.

"You ungrateful bastard!" The soldier yelled. "I try to give you some advice, and this is how you repay me?!" The soldier drew his pistol. "I'll teach you to mess around with me like that!"

Shinjin stared at him with desperate eyes.

"Lower your weapon." Shinjin turned to where the voice was coming from and recognized its source. It was the man in the dark blue suit.

"Look what that bastard did to my face! Why the hell should I not shoot him?!"

"It's an order. Don't talk back to your superiors."

Visibily angry, the soldier threw his pistol on the ground with a deafening crash and stormed off. The man in the suit opened up the cage and pulled Shinjin out.

"The name's Caril. ...Remember it."


End file.
